Have Your Cake and Eat it Too?

The student newspaper of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government details growing interest in impact investing among students and graduates.

From original article:

"For a lot of Harvard students, balancing their goals of doing good and doing well poses a professional dilemma. Many graduates wrestle with the choice of working in the public or private sector. How can they conceivably do both? Impact investing might just be the way.

"Broadly speaking, impact investing involves using traditional, profit-oriented investment that seeks to achieve a social and/or environmental impact. Examples include investments in microfinance, clean technology and global health. Caroline Hoffman, MBA '12, worked at IGNIA capital this past summer and described impact investing as an opportunity to bridge the gap between social goals and financial returns.

"A fast-growing industry, impact investment is attracting diverse talent and capital. From the financial world, players such as venture capitalists, bankers and investors view this as an economic opportunity with attractive returns. Traditional non-profits are considering new revenue models and legal structures in order to attract capital and become more sustainable."